Closure of Paddington station over Christmas

Paddington station will be closed over Christmas this year to allow for electrification and Crossrail works.    The six-day closure starts on Christmas Eve, Saturday December 24th through to Thursday 29 December.  This will mean trains are very busy on Friday 23 December, and GWR is recommending customers to book ahead and travel early if they can.

Trains will start and finish at Ealing Broadway throughout the closure with customers completing their journey by London Underground.  There are no lifts at the station.  GWR is therefore recommending that customers use trains to and from London Marylebone changing at Oxford. It has arranged for tickets to be valid on these services.

You can find full details on their website  including details on travelling with bikes, their sleeper service and their Pullman dining service.

Beech House monthly update

Simon Houldsworth is the new project manager for the Beech House works in Latimer Road.

 

He reports as follows:

Progress on site:

Concrete works to the basement is progressing well, despite the drop in temperature and the limited access to site. We have managed to make our drainage connections in Latimer Road during the Vital energi works to reduce the impact on the access to Latimer road at a later date.

Work to be progressed over the next 4 weeks

We shall be completing the concrete works to the basement and starting the foundation to the maisonettes, as well as setting up a material delivery area.

Christmas shutdown

We will shut down for Christmas on Friday 23rd December and return on Wednesday 4th January.   There will be full time security on site all over Christmas.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What sites in Oxford can be built on?

There is an important set of documents to read for anyone interested in the viability of sites for housing or other economic use in Oxford. This is referred to as HELAA by planning policy officers. It will have significance when the Local Plan options document is compiled ready for consultation next summer.

Some sites have been identified as potentially acceptable for development, others not. Those with concerns about Ruskin Fields and the golf course will find it useful.

HELAA is publicly available on the City Council’s website and you can download the appendix by clicking this link.

Headington Singers present…

..their 30th anniversary year concert on  Friday 9 December at 7.30pm at All Saint’s Church, Lime Walk.

This will be a celebratory feast of English Christmas music, much of it written in the county. There will be old favourites and unfamiliar songs and carols, including a glorious medley of carols in Christus Natus Est by contemporary composer Cecilia McDowall. And they’ll be singing some ‘West Gallery’ carols. These were written for parish churches between about 1700 and 1850 but fell out of favour, partly because many did not consider them solemn enough! This exuberant music is now undergoing a revival.

They will be accompanied by the brilliant Alfredston Brass ensemble who will add their own contribution to the festive flavour.

Drinks will be served in the interval so you can catch up with friends. Tickets on the door cost £12 (£10 concessions, children free) including free programme notes.

Latest news on energy pipe works

There has been a change of plan regarding traffic management in Lime Walk up until Christmas. Three way traffic lights have now been ruled out for various reasons e.g. this would significantly increase the currently congested situation causing a bottleneck and as a result parking bays would need to be suspended in order to accommodate traffic waiting at a red light. We asked for assurances about the safety of pedestrians at that junction if another solution was found.

The preferred course of action by Vital Energi and the County Council now is for the traffic flow to continue as it is now, but with marshalls for pedestrian safety & manual traffic control.

Re enquiries about signage, the yellow diversion signs in the Stapleton/Bickerton Road areas are in place for drivers of vehicles unable to turn into Latimer Road from London Road who are following a diversion route. We realise that local residents don’t find these helpful but they are placed there to help visitors to the area.

Up and coming events in December

Don’t forget to check out Rock Choir at the Christmas Markets – well worth a listen, and some members are from Headington!

Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December, Oxford Art and Craft Market, Broad Street, 9am to 5.30pm (Sat) and 10am to 4.30pm (Sun). The Art Market is a partnership event between Boffy Arts Market and Oxford City Council and features approximately 30 – 36 traditional market stalls. All of the work sold is handmade and selected for quality and all stalls are run by the artists or makers of the goods. www.boffyartsandevents.com

  • Saturday 3 December, Balliol Chapel Choir Carol Singing, Broad Street, 12pm to 6pm. Balliol Chapel Choir will be singing Christmas Carols to raise money for ‘The Porch Steppin’ Stone Centre’. www.balliol.ox.ac.uk
  • Tuesday 6 December, Dementia Friends awareness raising session at the Museum of Oxford, Oxford Town Hall (Heritage Learning Centre), 4pm to 5pm. Join Helen Fountain, Reminiscence Officer, to raise awareness of the issues effecting people living with dementia and their carers and signpost to further information. The session is free and all are welcome. To book a space follow the link here or drop in on the day.
  • Thursday 8 to Sunday 18 December, Oxford Christmas Market, Broad Street, 10am to 7pm. Annual Christmas Market with festive decorated stalls offering Christmas gifts and seasonal food and drink. Local choirs and bands will add to the festive atmosphere. www.oxfordchristmasmarket.co.uk
  • Saturday 10 December, South of England Athletics Association – Championships 2016,  Horspath Road Rec and Shotover Country Park, 7am to 5pm. Cross country running races. www.oxfordcityathleticclub.com
  • Sunday 11 December, Santas on the Run, City Centre with start and finish on Broad Street, 8.30am to 10.15am. Annual charity two mile fun run with participants being dressed as Santas. www.hdh.org.uk

Energy pipe works – latest news

Residents have raised a number of queries about the energy pipe works – all complaints have been understood and resolved. It is normal to have teething problems at the beginning of a major project.

Why did works start at 7am Tuesday morning?

A delivery on Monday morning at 8am had caused tailbacks. An unauthorised decision was taken to try and avoid this today by manoeuvring a delivery earlier in the morning so that traffic would not be affected so significantly. This has been reported and it has been made clear to all contractors that works shall not commence before 8am in future.

Why is there some fencing off of pavement, we were told pavement would not be affected?

The location of the pipe is very close to the kerb on All Saints Road. The HERAS fencing has now been moved to be as close to the kerb as possible, allowing for 2m of pavement for pedestrians

Why has the end date before Christmas been moved from 16th to 23rd December?

The Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) made it clear that there should be no work after 16th. However the County Streetworks Team is trying to make sure that the Vital Energi works dovetail with the Winvic works at Beech House. There is one section of Latimer Road where connections need to be made from Beech House to each of the storm and foul water drains. Winvic need to dig a trench under the pavement and Vital Energi will enable that trench to connect to the sewers under the road surface in conjunction with its own energy pipe trench. The Winvic work has to be done before Vital Energi can combine it into their trench work because the connecting pipes run downhill. The County Council wants this joint working to happen so that (a) that part of Latimer Road isn’t dug up twice and (b) to minimise disruption to residents.

So the 23rd December has been mooted as a contingency date in case the Winvic works aren’t done in time to meet Vital’s deadline. The County officers have been to site to ensure all kit for the Winvic work is ready to go asap, so we are hoping that all work by both teams will still make the deadline of the 16th.

This has been reflected in the new signage.

There was noise overnight from the generator in the temporary Sandfield Road car park 

This has been rectified and will not happen in future.

 

Up and coming events in Oxford

Don’t forget to say hello to Ruth who is singing with the Oxford City Chambers Choir in Broad Street at 1pm on Sat 26 November, and with Rock Choir on Sats 10 and 17 December!

  • Friday 25 to Sunday 27 November, Christmas Light Festival 2016, City Centre inc. Broad Street, Gloucester Green and Oxford Castle, 5pm to 10 pm (Fri), 10am to 10pm (Sat) and 10am  to 4pm (Sun). Annual city event with the core outdoor event happening on Friday evening and various different cultural activities, most of which are free, taking place throughout the weekend. www.oxfordschristmas.com
  • Saturday 26 November, Have Your Say Meeting, Manzil Way Gardens, 10am to 2pm. This info stand by OCC’s Community Response Team aims to get resident’s views on issues in the area as well as the issues that matter most to them.www.oxford.gov.uk
  • Saturday 26 November, Documentary Screening: A Plastic Ocean, St Anne’s College, 6.30pm. Screening followed by a Q&A session with the Executive Advisor to the film, David Jones. Tickets available at https://fixr-app.com/event/12130
  • Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December, Oxford Art and Craft Market, Broad Street, 9am to 5.30pm (Sat) and 10am to 4.30pm (Sun). The Art Market is a partnership event between Boffy Arts Market and Oxford City Council and features approximately 30 -36 traditional market stalls. All of the work sold is handmade and selected for quality and all stalls are run by the artists or makers of the goods. www.boffyartsandevents.com
  • Saturday 3 December, Balliol Chapel Choir Carol Singing, Broad Street, 12pm to 6pm. Balliol Chapel Choir will be singing Christmas Carols to raise money for ‘The Porch Steppin’ Stone Centre’. www.balliol.ox.ac.uk
  • Thursday 8 to Sunday 18 December, Oxford Christmas Market, Broad Street, 10am to 7pm. Annual Christmas Market with festive decorated stalls offering Christmas gifts and seasonal food and drink. Local choirs and bands will add to the festive atmosphere. www.oxfordchristmasmarket.co.uk
  • Saturday 10 December, South of England Athletics Association – Championships 2016,  Horspath Road Rec and Shotover Country Park, 7am to 5pm. Cross country running races. www.oxfordcityathleticclub.com
  • Sunday 11 December, Santas on the Run, City Centre with start and finish on Broad Street, 8.30am to 10.15am. Annual charity two mile fun run with participants being dressed as Santas. www.hdh.org.uk

Parking during the energy pipe works

parking-suspension-notices

The County Council has put up parking suspension notices along the whole energy pipe route. This has worried residents who had previously been told they can continue to park as normal, except for when the energy pipe trench is being dug immediately outside their property.

We’ve queried this with the County Council. The reason they do this is that if works progress more quickly than planned, the construction company can move into a new section of road straightaway without further delay.

We’ve explained to the County Council that this is not appropriate for this particular project in interconnecting residential streets. They have agreed to
only display parking suspension notices in directly affected areas, and movethese along as works progress – but only if Vital Energi gave an assurance that 5 days clear notice will be given before a new section of trench is dug. Vital has been keen to make that assurance.

So an instruction has now been given by the County Council for many of these notices to come down again. I’m not sure when that will be but I hope it’s very very soon.

We are also checking with the City Council over recycling collections in areas that will be directly affected next week. We’re trying to ensure that this will
go without a hitch, but the City’s recycling teams have requested that people show extra consideration as bin lorries manoeuvre their way through the area.

Headington Ward councillors are writing/printing street letters to post through the letterboxes of those affected so that everyone knows what’s going on. Please get in touch with us if you have any other concerns about the project.

Breaking. Parking suspensions along the energy pipe route SUPERSEDED – SEE ABOVE

Residents have contacted us because they are concerned about the parking suspension notices that the County Council has put up along the whole of the energy pipe route.

It’s standard practice for the Council to blanket cover the whole area where works will take place. This is ensure that parking is suspended should the works on one section finish earlier than expected and gives the contractor the facility to get work done more quickly.

In this case, the project will continue for four and a half months, so blanket coverage of suspension signs is causing needless concern.

We have discussed this with the Civil Enforcement Manager at the County Council and have secured an undertaking that superfluous parking suspension notices will be removed until needed, provided that Vital Energi undertakes to give 5 clear working days notice before moving works from one section to another. The Vital Energi project manager is happy to give that assurance but we are waiting to get official confirmation before we send out emails and street letters to that effect.

Councillors will discuss parking suspensions in Lime Walk (which will become one way after Christmas) at a meeting with County Networks and Vital Energi tomorrow.

This post will be updated later today